


We's a Family

by GrandR



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cuddles, How Do I Tag, M/M, Panic Attacks, Racebackstory, not enough content for these two, race is sad, the other newsies are mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-02-23 09:50:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23909674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GrandR/pseuds/GrandR
Summary: Someone from Race's past shows up and it sends Race spiraling, lucky Davey is there to pick up the pieces(Just some soft Race/Davey angsty fluff because there is not enough content for this ship)
Relationships: Racetrack Higgins & David Jacobs, Racetrack Higgins/David Jacobs
Comments: 3
Kudos: 36





	We's a Family

Race didn’t have a lot of memories of his family, he was the youngest of 5, joining the group of Newsies when he was 7, Jack was 10 at the time and welcomed Race into the lodge with open arms. When he started selling he still went by Antonio Higgins, Jack quickly naming him Racetrack after the kid proved just how fast he was. By the time Davey had met the kid he was 16 and hadn’t hear the name Antonio in 9 years. Most of the newsies didn’t know much about Race, like Jack he had been around well before any of them showed up, backstories weren’t something the boys liked to talk about- not a lot of them had happy memories of their families, you don’t normally wind up a newsie if your home life is golden. Like the other Newsies Davey didn’t know much about Race, even after the shared kisses in the alleyway and the nights they would spend wrapped around each other waiting for the sun to rise Race still wouldn’t talk about his family before the newsies.  
They were out selling together, if was a decent headline and papes were selling well. race was in a great mood, Davey could always tell when Race was in a good mood, there was a lightness in his step and he would find ways to bump hands with Davey. A young woman was walking down the street, Race threw Davey a wink turning towards her, wandering over with a slight swagger in his step, Davey snickering under his breath as he watched the younger turn on the charm  
“Antonio?” Her voice was soft, she looked at Race with strange look in her eyes. Davey could see the colour drain from Race’s cheeks and he took a step forward  
“Antonio, is..is that really you?”  
“Mary?” the woman smiled and stepped forward arms outstretched to pull the boy in for a hug, Race moved back, Davey was right behind him placing a hand on Race’s shoulder  
“Ma’am can we help you?” Davey asked, keeping his voice polite  
“Mary what are you doing here?” Race sounded, he sounded frightened, a voice Dave had never heard before, he tightened his grip on Race’s shoulder automatically  
“Tonio, we live a few blocks over, after Charlie died ma couldn’t stand the house anymore so we moved”  
“Charlie died?” Race’s voice shook, the boy was trembling under Daveys hand  
“why, why don’t you come home tonight, im sure ma and pa would like to see you, Eddie and David are still home most nights for dinner” she reached out again and Race pressed closer to Davey  
“I think you should go home Mary” Race breathed, eyes cast down  
“Tonio-“  
“Ma’am he said its time to go” Davey side stepped in front of Race giving her a stern look, sighing she dug through her purse and pulled out a quarter passing it to Davey  
“Antonio, you know you can come home whenever you want” she sighs turning and walking away from the pair, Davey turns around to look at Race, the boy was shaking, keeping his head down  
“come on Race, lets head back to the lodge yeah?” It was later afternoon, most of the boys would be heading to Jaobi’s for a feed before starting the evening circulation, hopefully the lodge would be quiet and empty.  
The boys walked in silence climbing the sitars up to the top floor of the lodge where the other boys slept. Race made a beeline for his bed sitting down on it, Davey sat beside him, they sat in silence for a few moments before Race turned to Davey  
“That was my sister” his voice was soft, Davey nodded reaching out to take his hand, he had questions but he didn’t want to push  
“I...I got an older sister and 3 older brothers, Mary, David, Charlie and Eddie. Eddie he uh, he’s 6 years older then me I think. My pa he was a factory worker, or a labourer. I don’t really remember much about him actually, he worked a lot and when he wasn’t working he was drinking. He kept a roof over our heads through and dinner on the table so I guess he was doing his job” Race took a shuddering breath. Davey just clutched his hand tighter, unsure of how else to offer support  
“My ma she was a seamstress, use to work a lot from home. My brothers they were, well they were loud, what do you expect from 3 teenagers, when Ma would work from home she would kick the boys out, didn’t want them to bother her. It would be the middle of a New York winter and ma would send me and my brothers out onto the streets, no coats, for hours. Claiming we could only come home when it was dark, I use to beg her not to make me go, promise her I would sit quietly all day and not bother her. It use to be so cold and my brother would go off to the races or to the pub and I was left on my own” he hiccupped, breath catching in his throat for a moment  
“Race...” Davey breathed  
“Antonio” Race corrected, looking at Davey for the first time since they got to the lodge  
“I use to just stick next to the building all day, sitting on the fire escape waiting for it to get dark so I could go inside, then one day I was sittin’ there and I heard some boys shouting so I look down the street and who do I see but young jack Kelly, arm full of newspapers” Davey chuckles slightly, Race smiling too at the thought  
“went over to kelly asked what he was selling and he showed me the papers, explained to me that between the two of us we could make a little money selling papers, I use to go to the lodge when my Ma would kick me out and one day Eddie caught me selling papers, dragged me home to our folks who were furious that I was out making money, dad said that if I wanted a job then I would have to seat paying them for letting me stay in the house” Race shrugged  
“Jack and the newsies showed more care for me in 2 weeks then my family ever did, so I left the change I had made so far on the bed and left. Told Jack I had been kicked out so that he wouldn’t send me back”  
They sat quietly together for a moment, Davey's heart breaking silently for the boy  
“How old were you Antonio?” Davey took his other hand, the name feeling foreign on his tongue

“When I moved into the lodge? I was 7 I think, told Jackie I was 10 like him, I was a scrawny looking thing though, I don’t think he believed me for a second” Davey had to look away for a moment, the idea of 7 year old Race lying about his age so he could leave his home, hell Les was 10 years old and Davey could never leave him out on the streets alone  
“I haven’t seen Mary in years, haven’t seen any of em’ actually, except for Charlie. Charlie use to buy a paper from me every Wednesday, he never said anything to me in front of the other boys, he sometimes would even slip me a few extra pennies or some food. I think he was always worried about me starving or somethin. He stopped coming to collect papers about a year ago, I assumed he moved or, maybe he settled down, maybe he forgot about me but...I guess-“ Race choked on a sob and Davey wrapped his arms around smaller boy, pulling him close as he started to cry. Davey fought to stop his own tears, focusing on holding Race close, murmuring comforting words as Race cried. Finally he started to come down, the sobs turning into soft whimpers  
“Thanks for telling me that Race” Davey whispered quietly laying them down in the bed, Race tucked himself into Davey’s side  
“I haven’t heard the name Antonio in so long Davey, I didn’t recognise it when she called me that, I almost forgot my own name” Race shuddered, Davey pressed a kiss to his hairline  
“If you want, I could call you Antonio sometimes, just to make sure don’t forget it” He feels the boy nod against his chest, Davey smiles  
“When you first showed up and les called ya David, I don’t think I ever turned around so quickly. For a moment I just, you know I just thought maybe David had wound up like me, sellin papes just to get by”  
“Instead you just got stuck with me” Race laughs, snuggling closer to Davey  
“Stuck with ya? Davey you’re the best thing thats happened to me since 10 year old Jack” this time Davey laughed  
“Next time we’re in bed together lets not bring up 10 year old Jackie”  
The two drifted off to sleep, content in each others arms, a few days later Race came wo Davey with a clean piece of paper and a pen and asked for help writing a letter to his family, the two slipping the letter into the Higgin’s mailbox the next morning on their way out to sell  
“Thanks Davey” Race said as they walked away from the house, it was a chilly morning, the two in scarves and gloves, their breath visible in front of them  
“Any time Tonio” Davey said back, reaching out taking the others hand.


End file.
